The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1887-10-06
Thomas Jefferson's Ingenuity.

Two illustrated articles on Monti-
cello, the home of Jefferson, are given
in the Century. The first is by J. G.
Nicolay, the second by Frank r. Stock
ton. We quote from the latter: II
think it is not generally known with
what pleasure and zeal Jefferson
brought his mind to bear, not only
on the developement of his somewhat
grand ideas in regard to home, out
upon the most minute and pecu liar
contrivances for CONVENIENCE and
adornment. He drew plans and made
estimates for nearly everything that
was built or constructed or his place.
He calculated the number of bricks
to be used in every part of his build
ings; and his family now possess elab-
orately drawn plans of such bits of
household furnishing as curtain val
ences' and the like. Many of his ideas
in regard to building and furnishing
he brought with him from France:
but more of them had their origin in
his brain. There were no bedsteads
in his house, but in every chamber
there was an alcOve in the wall in
which a wooden framework was built
which supported the bed. His own
sleeping-arrangements during the life
time of his wife were of peculiar
nature; in the partition between two
chambers was IN archway, and in
this archway was the double bed; one
chamber was Mr.. Jetferson's room,
and the other his wife's dressing-roem;
when he rose in the morning he got
out of bed into his own room. After
his wife's death her room became his
study. and the partition wall between
it and the library being taken down,
the whole was thrown into the present
large apartment. Over the archway
in which the bed is placed is a long
closet reached by step-ladder placed
in another closet at the foot of the bed.
In this were stored in summer the
winter clothes of the family, and in
winter their summer habilaments.
AT the other side of the arch there is
a small door, so that person going
from one room to the other had no
need TO Chamber over the bed.
'In the smaller chamber when it
became his study, stood Mr.. Jeffer-
sons writing-chair, which was made
to suit his peculiar needs; the chair
itself was high-backed, well-rounded,
and cushioned, and in front of it ex-
tended cushioned platform, on which
Mr.. jefferson found it very pleasant
to stretch his legs, being somewhat
troubled with swellings of the smaller
veins of these limbs. The writing
table was so made that it could be
drawn up over this platform, legs and
all, and pushed down when it was not
in use. The top of this table turned
on pivot; on one side of it were his
writing materials, aud on the other
was the little apparatus by which he
made copies of ali his letters. By his
side was another revolving table, on
which his books of reference Law, or
were held open at proper angles.
Near him stood pair of large globes;
and, if he wished to study anything
outside of this world, he had in the
room two long telescopes mounted on
brass tripods. Convenient also were
his yiOllns, one d Cremona, and the
other the bass-voil saved from the
Shadwell fire. Besides the book
shelves and the somewhat simple fur
niture, of the library, there were a
number of oddly contrived little clos
cts, in which were stored his multi
tudinous manuscripts. There is
writing-table now in the possession
of the family, which was frequently
used by Mr.. Jefferson, and which is
very ingeniously contrived. Two of
its four legs are hollow, and in these
run rods resting upon springs by
which the table can be easily elevated,
the other two legs being also extensi-
BILE, but in a different way. When
Mr.. Jefferson was tired of writing in
a sitting position, he could stand up
and raise the table to the desired
height. When he wished to use it as
a reading-stand, the top could be in
clined at any angle, and a strip of
brass was brought into use to keep the
books and papers from sliding off
Opening from the library was a
large room inclosed with glass, which
was intended for a conservatory, but
was used 10y Mr.. Jefferson as his work
room. There he had a workbench,
with all sorts of carpenters tools, with
which he constructed great many of
the small cOnveniences he invented.